Engineering Mythology
by KettrickenNightwielder
Summary: When Winry is attacked one night on her way home from work, a stranger steps in. Before she knows it, the young engineer's whole life seems to be changing as she meets new people and lands her dream job. But something about her hero, Edward, and his friends seems a little unusual.
1. Chapter 1

"This is just not my day," Winry muttered to herself as she stomped down the dark streets of the industrial district.

When her coworker and friend Paninya had found out that Winry had vacation days that were to the "use or lose" state, Winry had grudgingly agreed to take a few days off after her big presentation earlier this afternoon. Which would have been fine, except Winry had gotten nearly home before realizing that she'd forgotten her purse and cell in her workroom. If she wasn't taking the rest of the week off, she would have just left it and gotten it in the morning. But, since it was only Tuesday and she wasn't due back into work until Monday, she kind of needed her things.

She sighed and shivered. Her pencil skirt and button down had been fine today, but knowing she was going to be out for a few days meant she'd stayed late to have everything in order. Add her walk home and now back to the office, and it was getting late and chilly. This neighborhood is usually pretty much abandoned after six or so, except for the workaholics like Winry, but even then few people were still around at nearly eleven at night.

She was so focused on her own stupidity that she didn't notice his presence until a hand roughly grabbed her left bicep from behind. She'd barely gasped when she felt the cold edge of a knife at her throat.

"Alright, girly, hand over your wallet."

She gave a little squeak, "Um, I don't have it. I forgot it at work and-"

"Seriously?" He muttered to himself for a bit, but she only made out a few random curse words before he began dragging her off to the alley a few steps away. "I guess you'll have to give me some entertainment then, huh girly?"

Winry was frozen, stunned. She felt the edge of the knife occasionally bumping against her throat as he roughly hauled her along, thankfully not hard enough to actually penetrate her skin. Finally he seemed to feel they were far enough into the alley when they'd reached a rusted blue dumpster. He shoved her against the brick wall beside it, turning her to face him. All she saw other than the black knitted mask was a pair of muddy brown eyes scanning her up and down, and a wicked smirk.

She was somewhat aware of his awkward fumbling and gropes, but she was too scared to really let it penetrate her consciousness fully. Finally she realized she was crying, and turned her face away from her assailant and back toward the street. How could this be happening? She'd made a great presentation today, and had been looking forward to a few days to vegetate around her apartment.

Her eyes widened and she gasped as her shirt was ripped open, just as she saw someone walk past the end of the alley. He was hunched forward slightly, as if very focused ahead of him, a long blonde braid bouncing off his back as he walked quickly past. She could barely make a gargle, let alone scream for his help, she was so terrified with the blade at her neck. She closed her eyes with a sob of resignation as the blonde man disappeared from sight and she was dragged away from the wall and forced to lean over the dumpster.

Edward snarled in frustration. He was so sure he was near a breakthrough on his latest theory, when he'd gotten a call from his secretary Sheska. Apparently the papers she'd sent over days ago for him to sign were due in legal by morning. Whatever.

So, here he was, prime work time for him, walking home after dropping off a pile of boring paperwork.

He paused as he heard the sounds of a scuffle up ahead, then instinctively started jogging off in that direction. After just a few paces he slowed and shook his head. He had work to do at home. If some idiot was roaming this neighborhood at this time of night and couldn't defend themselves, it was their own fault. They deserved to get mugged. He didn't have time to get involved in someone else's problems.

With a decisive nod, he steeled himself and walked purposefully past the entrance to the alley, determined to get home and back to his research. Of course, his eyes betrayed him and darted to the left at the last moment to see a young girl thrown over a disgusting dumpster by a tough looking character. Said tough then lifted his knife and sliced the girl's skirt nearly off of her.

Now just slightly past the alley, Ed froze. He debated for maybe a second before turning back to the alley with a sigh.

Winry squeezed her eyes closed as tight as she could, but the tears kept coming. The mugger had twisted her left arm behind her back and was pushing her down hard. Her right hand was braced on the metal in front of her and she whimpered in dread at what she knew was coming next.

Suddenly the weight was lifted off of her back so quickly that she nearly collapsed. After a few meaty thumps she dared to slowly turn her head and look behind her.

The blonde man from before was standing over the unconscious form of her assailant, glaring down at the bloody pulp that had just been threatening Winry. She saw the knife several feet away on the greasy pavement. Slowly, she brought her eyes back up to her savior. He studied the thug for a moment before turning to her.

"Are you alright?"

Everything went black as Winry felt herself falling.

Edward sighed as he stepped forward and caught the girl. Great. Now what does he do with her? Take her home? He looked around, but couldn't find a purse or wallet. Odd. With a sigh, he juggled the girl back and forth in his arms to take off his black duster and wrap it around her half dressed form. When she seemed pretty well bundled, he set off for his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

Winry started to roll over into a new position, but the motion brought several aches into sudden and glaring life. Her eyes shot open and she frowned at the unfamiliar room. Her eyes adjust gradually to the dimness, the only illumination coming from the cracked door across the room. From that cracked doorway she hears an odd, repetitive squeaking. Clearly this is not her comfy, shabby chic bedroom in her apartment. The furniture in this room is all sleek and modern. Lots of black, white, and silver.

Huh. No windows.

She slowly sits up, cringing at the various pains blooming into her awareness. She reaches up to rub her left shoulder as she glances around to make sure she is alone. Seeing nobody, the events from earlier in the evening come back to her in hazy flashes. The last thing she remembers is the piercing gold stare of her rescuer.

She glances to the cracked door and bites her lip. She's suddenly terrified of being alone in this big, dark room. Stumbling out from the black throw that she'd been snuggled under, she barely makes it to her feet before her right ankle protests. With a frown at her shredded clothes, she notices a pair of black workout pants and a plain white tank top, both men's, laid across the foot of the bed. With several pained winces, she manages to change with some glances at the crack of light. Finally she stands and wraps the fuzzy blanket around her shoulders to limp towards the door, slowly opening it and blinking at the large, much brighter room before her.

Directly before her was a recessed living area with black leather couches and chairs surrounding glass and chrome tables. To the far left was a grey kitchen with all modern appliances, and totally bare countertops. Next to the kitchen, and hallway disappeared off to what she assumes is the door. Before her and to her right, above the recessed living area, are floor to ceiling windows showcasing a fantastic view of the city lights. About knee high all along the windows are packed bookcases, some occasionally pulled out and left lying open on top of the shelves.

Nearly straight across from her, in front of the window, the blonde man from earlier is scribbling frantically on a large, wheeled whiteboard. He's juggling three different color markers, apparently color coding the equations he is spouting out. He takes a step back to study his latest addition with a frown, then stiffens slightly as he apparently becomes aware of her presence. He turns and smiles softly at her as she leans against the door frame, trying to keep weight off of her bad ankle.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

She bites her lip and shrugs, which she immediately regrets at the extra twinge it causes. "Um, sore. But fine, thanks to you."

He sets his markers on the silver tray running across the bottom of the board and crosses over to her. He takes her elbow and with one hand and wraps the other around her waist, then leads her over to the couch. With a couple hops down the steps, she settles onto the couch with a smile of thanks to her rescuer.

"Really, I can't thank you enough. You saved my life!"

He smiles, but it seems a strained and embarrassed, "It's nothing. I couldn't leave you there . . . Anyway. I would have taken you home, but I couldn't find your purse."

She sighed and nodded, "Yeah. That's why I was there so late. I got all the way to my apartment's lobby and remembered I'd left my purse at work like a total ditz. I guess it's still there." She smiled softly at him as he settled on the other end of the couch. "I'm Winry, by the way. Winry Rockbell."

"Edward Elric. You should probably get some more rest. You're welcome to crash here tonight, I'll be up for hours still, working."

He gestured vaguely towards his marker creation, and her eyes follow briefly before smiling shyly at him.

"Honestly? I . . . I don't think I can handle a dark room alone right now. Is it ok if I just sit here on your couch for a bit? I promise I won't disturb you any more than I have-"

* * *

His eyes widened and he waved his hands between them, "Oh, no! Really, it's no bother!"

Crap, way to go Elric. Make the girl who nearly just got raped and murdered feel guilty for crashing on your couch.

"Do you need anything? A glass of water? Some tea?"

He half rose but she shook her head, "No, thanks though. Maybe I could just sit here for a little bit?"

He nodded and stood, "Of course." He walked over towards the kitchen and dimmed all the lights but the ones over his work, being sure that he didn't make it too dark since she seemed understandable troubled by that. "I have to go . . . um, in the morning. So I probably won't be here in the when you wake up. But, the doorman downstairs, I think it will be Havoc, will help you get home."

She nodded and smiled her thanks before lying back on a red velvet throw pillow. He went back to his board and picked up his markers, staring at the notations and equations to regain his place before diving back into the work. Before long he'd completely forgotten about his guest and was totally absorbed in his work. It was only when the alarm on his phone reminded him that it was almost dawn that he looked away from the frustrating figure before him.

When he turned to head toward the door next to his bedroom, he froze. He really had forgotten about the blonde curled up on his sofa. He frowned and turned back to the board, scribbling a big note in bright red on an empty corner. Then he went into the second door and picked up the phone hanging from the wall as he locked the door.

He pushed the button programmed for the concierge desk downstairs and waited for a moment before it clicked and he was greeted with a chipper, "Morning Chief, what can I do for you?"

"Hey, Havoc. Um, I had an unexpected guest last night. She had a pretty rough time, so she'll probably be a little out of it. Could you get her a cab when she comes down and make sure she gets home? Oh, and she doesn't have her purse, so handle the fare, will you?"

"Sure, boss. Sounds like she had a rough night."  
Ed nodded, "Yeah, she did. Oh, she said her name's Winry, uh, Rockbell. Thanks for taking care of her for me."  
He could hear the smile in Jean's voice, "No problem, Chief. Not the first time you've helped someone out, right? Just doing my part."


	3. Chapter 3

It was light in her face that woke Winry up the next morning. She slowly sat up and looked around the empty apartment. It took her a moment to notice the messy note scribbled onto the whiteboard her host had been working on the night before. It read, "Cupboards are pretty bare, but help yourself. Make yourself at home. Grab a jacket by the door on your way out, gonna be chilly."

Well, that was odd. Slowly she stood up and stretched out some of the fading aches from the night before. Standing, she was relieved that her ankle was feeling much better today. Just a little tender.

She neatly folded the blanked she'd used and set it on the couch. Eventually she poked her head back into the bedroom and picked up her clothes from the day before. Writing them off as a lost cause, she sighed and glanced about. She frowned down at the bed she'd originally woken up in. She had assumed that Edward had eventually crashed in here after his late night work spree. She was fairly certain the he hadn't though, because while the bed was made, it also seemed rumpled from her nap on top of the covers.

"Huh," she muttered to herself and shrugged. Apparently he is a night owl. She wadded her top and skirt into a ball and carried them out to the kitchen. She dumped them both into the empty trash can with a frown. She'd really liked that skirt.

She poked around in the cabinets, but he'd been telling the truth. She pretty much just found dishes, sugar, and a surprisingly wide variety of teas. The fridge wasn't much better: condiments, juice, and one of those filtering water pitchers.

Deciding she was fine after all, she closed the fridge and glanced around the apartment one more time before heading down the hall. Her black ballet flats were set neatly by the door, under a row of hooks with several red hoodies and the black duster Edward had been wearing last night when he'd walked past the alley. She frowned at the jacket. If that was here . . .

"Duh, Winry." She rolled her eyes. A guy with this nice of an apartment clearly had more than one coat.

She slipped on her shoes and a random red hoodie and pulled open the door. She peeked out and saw three other doors and an elevator at the end of the hall. Glancing up at the door she was holding she saw a chrome A. Making sure the door latched and locked behind her, she walked over to the elevator. Edward apparently lived on the top floor, since there was only a down arrow, which she pushed.

* * *

Edward leaned against the door of what had originally been a pantry next to the kitchen when he'd moved in. A few modifications and he had a light tight sanctuary. There was a phone hooked up to the building intercom system, as well as the outside grid. A comfy chair, since he spent most days reading or surfing the web on his laptop. And of course the stainless steel fridge, humming away.

But, for now, he was feeling bad for abandoning the girl. So, he sat against the locked door and listened to her pad around his apartment. He kind of expected her to hang around longer, actually. Maybe be more curious about the empty apartment she found herself in. But, other than opening seemingly every cabinet in his kitchen, she actually made her way to the door fairly quickly.

When he finally heard the door close and lock, he sighed and lifted his mug to his lips. With a long sip of the thick, deep red blood he let his blonde head fall back on the door with a soft thud. He told himself it was better that she was making a clean break from him this way. That they weren't lingering over awkward social niceties.

The more people that stuck around him, the harder it would be to keep his clan's secrets. Havoc, Breda, and the employees at the lab who already knew their nocturnal friend's odd habits were bad enough.

But, somehow, he knew he was going to miss Winry and those big blue eyes.

* * *

She didn't have to wait long before a ding announced the elevator's arrival, and the doors slid open. She stepped into the mirrored interior and turned to study the buttons. Pressing the L, she stepped back into the corner and wrapped her arms around herself. She was suddenly conscious of the baggy clothes and her unkempt hair. She quickly combed out the worst of the knots with her fingers, dropping her hands abruptly as the elevator settled on her floor. Apparently this complex didn't have a lot of activity just after dawn. Her own had several joggers and people walking their dogs before work.

When the doors slid open, she stepped out into the marble and gilt lobby. A blonde man in a red and gold livery turned and smiled at her.

"Ah, I bet you're the chief's guest! Winry, right?"

She nodded and started walking toward the glass door leading to the street. The blonde man met her there and held the door for her, nodding at her muttered thanks, and then followed her into the street.

"He told me you'd be coming by. Got a cab for you right here." He raised a hand and waved, and Winry turned to see a yellow cab pull up from further down the street. As it came to a stop, Winry glanced at the driver. He was a short, thicker guy with reddish hair and a big grin.

"Hey, Jean, this Ed's fare?"

Winry frowned, wondering how many people knew she was here with Edward last night, and how often he had girls staying over. She glanced around briefly and recognized the building now. Huh, swanky neighborhood.

Havoc grinned down into the cab and pulled the passenger door open as he answered, "Yep! Name's Winry. Make sure she gets home safe, Chief said she had a rough time last night."

Now Winry turned bright red, wondering how people might take that, but before she could come up with a reply, the blonde man turned and took her elbow to help her into the cab. She froze, then jerked her arm away with a muffled shriek. After a moment of gasping and shaking, she blinked a few times and finally came back to herself.

Jean was looking down at her, clearly concerned, "Hey, I'm sorry, Miss. Really didn't mean to startle you."

She managed a shaky smile, "No, it's fine. I'm sorry. I'll be just fine. Thank you for your help."

He studied her for a moment, and then nodded slowly as he apparently decided to go along with her obvious exaggeration of her own welfare. This time he merely held the door as she settled herself into the back of the cab.

"You be safe now, Miss Winry."

She smiled up at him again and he closed the door. She saw him back up to the building, but noticed that he didn't go back inside yet. She turned her shaky smiled to the driver as he turned around to smile at her.

"Alright, where to then?"

She cleared her throat and managed to give him her address. He nodded with a grin and turned back to the front.

"No problem! Be there in a jiff. My name's Breda, by the way. Ed and I go way back."

She leaned back into the seat and hugged herself again, looking down at the bright red sleeves of her borrowed hoodie. "Oh? Really?"

"Yep. I got mixed up in a bad crowd, but he helped me get back on my feet. Kid's good at that: helping folks. Even got me this job. So, I make my cab available for him, you know, pay back and all."

She tilted her head and they made eye contact briefly in the rearview mirror before he looked back at the road and changed lanes.

She answered after a moment, "Really? So I'm not the first person he's rescued?"

He gave a great belly laugh that startled her for a moment, but then she found herself smiling as he said, "Oh no. Kid's helping people all the time. Kinda his thing, I guess."

"Hmm. That's . . . nice I guess."

Before she knew it he was pulling up to the curb of her apartment building. She reached for her purse on reflex, and then looked up at Breda with horror.

"Oh! I don't have my purse!"

He laughed again and waved a hand, "Hey, don't worry. Boss has got you covered already. Like I said, kinda his thing."

She frowned, not really liking that. "Oh. Ok then. Um, thank you for the ride then."

"Sure, sure. Have a good day, Winry. Oh, here! Take a card! You ever need a cab, give old Breda a call, right?"

She smiled and took the card gingerly. "I will, thanks!"

She opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. She noticed that Breda didn't pull away until after she was in her building. Huh. Edward's friends were very protective apparently.

Winry had to wake her landlord and get a spare key, but she was so relieved when she finally stepped into her own little apartment that she leaned against the closed door and sighed. She started the coffee pot and picked up the cordless phone. Dialing the direct number to her lab, she sat at the small kitchen table and tucked her knees up to her chest as it rang.

"Bio-mechanical engineering, Paninya speaking. "

"Hey, Paninya. It's Winry."

"Hey! You really have no idea how vacation works, do you girl?"

Winry rolled her eyes, "That's not it! I left my purse there yesterday."

There was a slight clatter from the receiver followed by a triumphant, "Yup! I see it now, under your station. Want to meet up tonight and I'll bring it to you?"

"Oh, Paninya that'd be fantastic. You have no idea how crazy things have been since I left work last night."

"Aw, Winry, that sucks. Vacation is supposed to relieve stress! Tell you what, we'll get together tonight and you can tell me all about it!"

Winry smiled, glad she had such a good friend at work. "That sounds good. I'll call you later and we'll figure out details? I gotta get some coffee in me."

"Sure, girlfriend! I gotta dash myself, meeting in ten and I need to pick up my numbers from the printer. Talk to you later!"

Winry disconnected the call and set the phone on the table, stretching to pour her cup of coffee without getting out of her seat. She took a sip and sighed in bliss, just what she needed. She smiled down at her mug. Now that she had some caffeine, things were looking up.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes:

OMG reviews and such! I'm thrilled, you guys! We'll be covering more on the vampire aspect coming up, but I'm wanting to sort of ease into it and not e a sudden shock to poor Winry! Along those lines, I've tried to leave some subtle hints that Ed wasn't quite normal without accents and capes lol. I also have a few things I still need to iron out for myself, like exactly how old these guys are and whatnot. Suggestions/Predictions are always welcome in the reviews, but I actually have a good bit planned out in my head, so no promises! Thanks everyone, enjoy!

* * *

Ed puttered about his Day Room, for a full ten minutes before he gave in to his curiosity and sat down with his laptop. Nothing too crazy came up for "Winry Rockbell" at first. Honor Roll lists and that sort of thing. Then he found a few articles about an engineering contest she won in High School. She made it all the way to the national level, and placed third there.

Seems she got a few scholarships, went on to study Engineering at a pretty prestigious university, and then her hometown paper did an article about her graduating a year and a half early about four months ago. Huh. He'd probably done the human race a huge favor by saving her. Winry Rockbell seemed like the kind of person who would go on to make some big advances.

A couple clicks enlarged the picture from the article and he recognized her easily even though it was a black and white image. She was standing next to her grandmother, according to the caption, grinning and holding up her diploma. He had to admit, he'd taken the pretty blonder for more of a model than a scientist.

He finished his 'breakfast' off and chucked the latest empty blood bag into the trashcan by the door. He clicked the laptop closed and set it on the floor by the chair. Well, at least he had done his good deed for the day. Or week, whatever. He smirked, yeah, he probably wasn't going to get into the habit of good deeds. Too big a distraction from his work.

With that reminder, he grabbed the book he'd started reading the day before on pathogens and settled into research mode.

* * *

Winry finished her cup of coffee, chucked her borrowed clothes in the washer, and took a long hot shower. Finally starting to feel like a real human being, she glanced around her apartment with her hands on her hips. Everything was neat as a pin. She'd already set her mug in the dishwasher, the clothes wouldn't be done for a while yet, and she'd picked up the apartment a couple days ago.

This was exactly why she didn't take time off.

Her eyes fell on her box of recipes carefully copied from her grandmother's back home. With a smile she started leafing through the cards for something she had all the ingredients on hand for. She really wasn't up for a grocery run today. Finally settling on a classic apple pie, she pulled out an apron and set to work. Soon enough the laundry was dry and folded, she'd finished a third cup of coffee, and the pie was cooling on the counter.

She glanced at the pile of sketches and research she almost always had at her apartment, in case something struck her on her 'off' hours, she shrugged.

"Hey, I like my work. And, I relaxed for hours already."

With a grin she spread some diagrams and a couple of reference books out on her coffee table and settled happily in. She had hours until Paninya would be off work anyway. May as well pass the time. Which is how she happily passed most of the afternoon until she got up for a glass of water and noticed the pie on the counter.

With a thoughtful glance at the black and red clothes sitting folded on the counter, she tilted her head at the beginnings of an idea. Really, it was only fair that she thanked her savior properly. With a decisive nod, she made her way to the bedroom to pick out an outfit for her night out with Paninya. She'd have plenty of time to swing by Edwards, return the clothes he'd loaned her, and leave him a homemade Thank You in the form or apple pie.

* * *

Ed was pulled out of his book when his laptop gave a familiar beep. He marked his place, then swapped the book for the laptop. Opening it and settling it onto his lap, he saw a new chat message blinking at him.

AL: Hey, Brother! We are on our way over to restock you. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you could stop researching and maybe hear us when we knock on your door.

Ed rolled his eyes, wondering when night had fallen, and typed his reply.

ED: Ha Ha. I may let you in. Verdict's still out on that.

AL: Oh, you wouldn't leave your baby brother out in the cold! Oh, the gang's all meeting up tonight, so maybe you should put some actual clothes on before we get there, too!

Edward groaned with a glare down at his boxers, but he knew there was no arguing with his brother on this one. Al seemed to think that his big brother didn't socialize enough and so every week or two he'd organize a get together and force Ed out of his apartment.

ED: The hallway is climate controlled. See you soon.

Closing the laptop he set it down on the chair and went to the door. His Day Room had an electronic lock on both sides, to keep it from accidentally being opened during the day by someone who didn't know his little secret. Entering the long code, he made the nearly immediate right turn into his bedroom and pulled a pair of black slacks and a dark grey shirt out. After getting dressed, he combed his hair out and started braiding it when he heard a knock at the door.

Sticking an elastic in his teeth, he braided as he walked to the door. He pulled the door open and jerked his chin in greeting at the two men standing in the hall with Styrofoam coolers. Propping the door open with his foot, he wrapped the elastic around the end of the braid as his guests stepped into the apartment.

Roy stepped in first, muttering a brief hello as he passed. Of the group, Roy was the one who looked most like a stereotypical vampire. Dark hair and eyes, and he tended to study people in a way that made you feel like he was pondering what sorts of bad things he would do to you. Without any direction, Roy was heading toward the Day Room with his cooler.

As Al stepped in, Ed took the cooler from his younger brother who rolled his eyes in response. Vampirism may have filled the younger boy out a little, but he was still pretty thin as a side effect of how ill he'd been when he'd been turned. Al had slightly darker features than his brother, and kept his hair short, but there was no denying the resemblance.

All three of the guys made their way to the stainless steel fridge where Ed kept his blood supply. They stacked it all in neatly while Al chattered about his own research, then took the empty containers out to the kitchen. Ed stacked them by the trash can, surprised to see the shredded fabric in the bottom.

Suddenly, Roy tilted his head thoughtfully, then slowly smiled and glanced sideways at Ed.

"Well, someone had a guest recently."

Al blinked and then took a slow sniff while Ed turned bright red.

"Not like that, Mustang! I just helped out this girl that was getting mugged last night. She's already gone. No biggie."

Al chuckled and shook his head, "Sure, brother. Cause your strays always leave you alone, never to be heard from again."

The three men, despite their supernatural senses, all jerked their heads toward the hallway at the sudden knock.

* * *

Winry smiled at Havoc as she entered the lobby, expecting him to be surprised to see her again. Instead, he looked almost like he'd been expecting her as he gestured to the elevators.

"Evening, Miss Rockbell! Elric's still upstairs."

"Oh. Thanks!"

He nodded and looked back down to his magazine as she pressed the call button for the elevator. She waited patiently, shifting her burdens slightly as the doors opened before her. Stepping in, she carefully balanced the pie and shopping bag of Ed's clothes as she hit the button for the top floor.

When the doors opened again with a cheery ding, she stepped out and made her way to apartment A. Once more she shifted the pie to one hand long enough to knock firmly on the door. There was a pause, and then she could barely make out parts of words from within the apartment.

"-guests?"

There was a soft negative followed by, "-intercom. Havoc slacking . . . neighbors-"

She heard approaching footsteps and settled a bright grin on her face just before the door swung open. Edward blinked at her in surprise for a moment.

"Winry?"

She smiled wider and nodded, "Yup! Sorry to intrude, I won't be long. Promise! But I wanted to return your things, and thank you again for saving me. This is my grandmother's recipe, everyone always says it's the best!"

She lifted the pie proudly at the stunned blonde man. Before he could bring himself to form a reply, a dark haired man poked his head into the hallway and grinned at her.

"Ah, your latest conquest, Edward?"

Ed frowned and shot a glare at the other man, "No, Mustang. This is Winry. We, uh, met last night." He turned back to her and opened the door wider with a gesture into the apartment. "Come on in, Winry."

As she stepped inside, another blonde with shorter hair than Edward's stepped into view with a welcoming smile and a wave.

"Hi! I'm Al, Ed's little brother. And this is Roy Mustang, we're old friends from work."

Al reached out his right hand to shake hers in greeting, and Winry froze, staring down at it for a moment. The three guys glanced between themselves as they studied the suddenly strained smile on Winry's face. After a moment, she shoved the pie into Al's offered hand.

"It's nice to meet you both." She moved her hands to grip the handles of the shopping bag so tightly that her knuckles started to turn white. She took a deep breath, let it out, and felt herself calming down.

* * *

Ed frowned at the blonde girl. Everybody liked Al. He'd never seen anyone react to him that way. Ever. And, of course, the brat noticed the concerned look Ed was giving the girl, and suddenly grinned.

"Hey, Winry, I got an idea! We were all about to go meet up with some friends! Why don't you come with us?"

Winry blinked at the sudden invitation, then waved one hand in front of her dismissively, "Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude! Besides, I have to call a friend and meet up with her. She's bringing me my purse and-"

This time it was Roy who stepped in, "Where are you meeting her?"

"Oh. Well, we haven't decided yet. She should be getting off work any minute, and I was going to text her then to figure it out."

Al grinned triumphantly and punched his right hand into his left palm, "Great! Then have her meet you at the Devil's Nest!"

It took a moment for the name to click, and Winry frowned slightly, "Isn't that place pretty hard to get into?"

Roy waved a dismissive hand, "Not a problem. We know the owner. We'll just have your friend's name added to the list. Tell her to ask for Ed and Al's group at the door."

Ed wasn't sure how this had gotten so out of control, but he figured it was past time he stepped in.

"Hey, quit railroading the girl. Maybe she doesn't want to hang out with you weirdos all night!"

Al turned to Winry and suddenly his eyes got all huge as he clasped his hands desperately under his chin. Ed slapped a hand to his forehead. Uh oh. Al was breaking out the puppy dog face.

"Do you really think we're weird, Winry?"

Ed watched the panic in her eyes, "Of course not!"

And just like that, Al was all smiles again. "Great, then it's settled! You go ahead and text your friend, I'll just put this in the . . . fridge?" He shot a questioning glance at Ed, who shrugged. Ed was no more sure where to leave a pie then his little brother. Neither of them had eaten pie since before household refrigeration had been invented . He shrugged and rolled his eyes, which Al took as affirmation that it was a good plan.

Ed sighed and reached for the shopping bag Winry was still clutching. "Thanks. You didn't have to return these, though."

She smiled up at him and shrugged, "Well, it's not like they fit me anyway."

He smirked and reached past her to hang the bag from one of the empty hooks. He then grabbed his coat and pulled it on. Al made it back, and they all stepped out into the hallway together. Ed shook his head as he pulled the door closed and listened for the locking mechanism. He really had no idea how this had happened, but he was pretty sure he was going to regret it.


	5. Chapter 5

Before she really knew what was happening, Winry found herself walking through the Devil's Nest with Ed, Al, and Roy. They had said they knew the owner, but strolling past the bouncer with nothing but exchanged nods, and now stepping into the roped off VIP section like they did this every day was a little surreal.

They quickly claimed a round booth in the corner, Ed and Al sliding all the way to the back. Roy followed Al on his side, so Winry slid in next to Ed. They were barely seated when another group entered the section and made their way over.

"Hey, guys!" A tall, dark haired man with glasses and scruffy facial hair slid in next to Roy.

"Hey, Maes. Fuery." Roys second greeting was directed to a shorter guy, also with dark hair and glasses, who was pulling a couple chairs over to the table. He sat down in the booth next to Maes though.

"Sorry we're late, got caught up at work."

Ed snorted, but everyone else started chatting about current work issues. Apparently they all worked for the same company.

Al glanced toward the door, "Are the girls coming?"

Fuery nodded, "Yeah, should be along any minute."

A handful of menus landed in the center of the table, and Winry looked up to see a smiling girl who had chopped nearly all of her dirty blonde hair off, leaving one long strand in the front. She was wearing a white shirt and black skirt and grinning at the table's occupants.

"Evening, guys. Long time, no see, Ed. Usuals? Oh, hi, I'm Martel!" Winry blinked and accepted the offered hand, shaking it once before replying with her own name. "Great! What would you like to drink, Winry?"

"Um, just a water please."

She nodded and glanced around, but nobody seemed to have anything else to contribute, so she slid off into the dark.

"So, Winry, was it? I'm Maes Hughes!"

She smiled and waved across the table at him. "Nice to meet you! Winry Rockbell."

The shorter man beside Maes smiled at her, "Kain Fuery."

She nodded to him with a smile, but before the conversation could move along two more figures arrived at the table. A tall blonde and a shorter girl with auburn hair and glasses took the chairs that Kain had deposited there a few minutes ago.

"Sorry everyone, traffic was kinda nuts."

"No problem, nobody's been here long. Guys, this is Ed's new friend Winry. Winry, this is Riza and Sheska." Al introduced the two girls, who smiled warmly at Winry.

"It's always nice when we get another girl in this group," Riza replied, "These boys can be such a handful for Sheska and I."

Winry grinned as the boys in question gave good natured defense of their character, but Riza just smiled and rolled her eyes.

Sheska leaned closer and asked, "So, Winry, what do you do?"

"Oh, I'm an engineer. Very boring, I assure you."

She was surprised at the laughter that brought, and Maes explained, "Not to this group! Roy, Ed, and Al are researchers, Sheska is their assistant, and Fuery here is a computer nerd."

"System Admin!"

Maes patted the smaller guy on the shoulder, "Yeah, sure."

"And you two?" Winry looked between Riza and Maes in question, but it was Riza who answered.

"I'm head of security, and Maes is in Human Resources."

"Wow," Winry replied, "You guys are like, the whole company."

Al chuckled, "Well, pretty much. What kind of engineering do you do, Winry?"

* * *

Ed silently watched in slight surprise as Winry seemed to merge very easily into the group. He knew she was an engineer of course, but hadn't seen online anywhere what she was studying.

So, he was as surprised as everyone else when she answered, "Bio-mechanical. I'm working on a new type of prosthesis. Well, really a new way to bond a prosthesis directly to muscles and nerves."

The entire group blinked at her for a moment, then Maes leaned in with a grin, "Really? Are you interested in a job? I've got some openings I've been struggling to fill, and you sound like a perfect fit!"

"Winry?"

Everyone turned to see a dark-skinned young woman making her way over, and Winry smiled and waved at her friend. "Over here! Everyone, this is my friend and coworker, Paninya."

Everyone shouted out greetings, then went around the table for another round of introductions. Winry's friend shot her a curious look, then sat down next to the blonde and handed over one of the two purses she was carrying.

"Here you go, birdbrain. Try not to leave your stuff at work next time you take a few days off, right?"

Winry rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, you're a life saver!"

Martel arrived back with a tray of drinks, passing them out quickly and taking Paninya's order at the same time. A few food items were shouted out as well, and she acknowledged the requests with a curt nod before walking off again.

"So," Paninya spoke up, "Don't let me interrupt. What were you guys talking about before I showed up?"

Maes grinned, "Actually, I believe I was offering Winry here a job."

Paninya rolled her eyes, "Of course! You know, she's a bit of a prodigy. "

"Paninya!"

The darker haired girl ignored her friend's red-faced interruption and charged on, "She had several job offers right out of college. Pretty fancy joints, too. "

Maes just smiled, "Oh, I think we could make it worth her while." He glanced at his watch, then frowned and downed his drink. "Sorry guys, I need to go. I promised Gracia I'd be home in time to put my little angel to bed."

He turned to Winry and wagged a finger at her, "Don't forget my offer! I'll get your contact info from Ed and give you a call later to set something up. Night everyone!"

Ed blinked, then frowned as Maes started weaving through the gathering crowd, "Maes! Hey! I don't . . . " He groaned and shook his head. He didn't have Winry's number. Now he'd feel like a creep asking for it. He glared down at his phone, which he'd had sitting on the table since they'd arrived.

He was pretty surprised to see a slender hand reach over and grab it.

* * *

Ed's phone was a different model than hers, but she pretty quickly figured out the menus and found his contacts. A few keystrokes later and she'd added her number. She typed in her name followed by a pink heart and a wrench emoji.

"There! Problem solved." She grinned at Ed, who stared at her with his jaw dropped for a few moments before reaching out to take back his phone.

Paninya gave a squeal as the music picked up, and Sheska clapped happily as well.

"C'mon, let's go dance!"

Winry felt her arm grabbed, and reflexively reached out and grabbed Ed's wrist, pulling him along too. Winry and Ed followed Sheska and Paninya to the dance floor, Riza standing to follow the two blondes. They settled pretty quickly into a loose circle. Winry was to Edward's Left, then Panninya, Riza, Sheska, and back to Ed.

They laughed and danced pretty happily for awhile, when Winry suddenly felt someone from behind her and to the left wrap an arm around her waist. She froze and shrieked, but the male chuckle over her shoulder didn't seem to get the message.

Suddenly, Ed slid his arm between Winry and the random stranger, and she glanced up at him in a panic. His golden eyes were locked furiously on the strange young man behind her. For a moment, Winry was terrified. But then, the other guy must have been too, because his arm disappeared from her back. Ed tugged her slightly in front of her, eyes still following the stranger until he apparently reached what the blonde man determined to be a safe distance.

The rage and violence melted quickly from his molten gaze and he dropped his eyes back to her face.

"You okay?"

She nodded, but it took her a moment longer to shake the strange feeling that Ed had only been a heartbeat away from something disturbingly violent. Paninya put a hand on her shoulder and raised an eyebrow in question, but Winry smiled reassuringly and started dancing again. She felt herself start to blush as she realized that Edward still had his arm protectively around her waist.


	6. Chapter 6

Edward kept Winry close, eyes darting around to make sure any other guys nearby got the message that the blonde was off limits. Even when every other male on the dancefloor had begun pointedly looking anywhere but at Edward, he barely loosened his grip on her.

He wasn't an idiot. In fact, he was somewhat of a genius. Clearly the attack had left some scars on Winry. She seemed perfectly fine around other women, but was not dealing well with guys yet. She'd even withdrawn from Al, which is just ridiculous. In fact, the only guy she tolerated was him.

He snorted to himself. Little did she know.

He made eye contact with Riza over Winry's shoulder, and the brown-eyed security agent nodded curtly. She got the message as well: Winry was under Ed's protection. To Riza, that means Winry was under her protection as well.

After several songs, Winry's friend tapped her on the shoulder.

* * *

Winry turned to Paninya, tearing her eyes away from the strange guy who was so clearly trying to protect her. Again.

With a fake pout, Paninya pointed to her wristwatch. "Some of us have to work tomorrow. Gonna square up my tab and head out. Call me tomorrow?"

Winry nodded, then looked up at Edward as he said, "Knowing Martel, your drink is already on my tab. I've got it."

Paninya grinned up at him and slapped him on the arm, "Hey, thanks Eddie!" She ignored the cringe at his new nickname and told Winry in a stage whisper, "He's a keeper, Win! See ya!"

As the girl disappeared into the crowd, Winry shook her head with a smile. Turning back to Edward, she jerked her head in the direction of their table.

"I'm gonna go grab a drink of water. Are you . . . "

He nodded and dropped his arm from her waist to grab her hand. Without a word, he started leading Winry to the guys still chatting and drinking at the table. Once they were out of the crowd, he did drop her wrist, but the she could still feel her cheeks burning as they slid into the booth.

Winry blinked in surprise when Riza sat down after her. She hadn't realized the other woman was coming back as well, but her attention was quickly grabbed by the conversation at hand.

"I'm telling you, Roy, I'm close. I just need a more efficient power source."

Roy shook his head, "Maybe, Al, but that's a whole other project. One you set aside years ago!"

Before she knew it, Winry was diving into their debate. Wiring, current, and hydraulics: right up her alley.

* * *

Ed nodded appreciatively to Riza as she settled into the booth after Winry. She nodded in return, and Ed snapped his attention to the now heated debate on fuel cell safety and output. He rolled his eyes, wondering if Roy and Al would ever give up on this tired old argument. It was new to Winry though, and the three of them were alive at her added side to the debate.

Eventually, Kain and Sheska called it a night. Riza gave him a pointed look not long after, and Ed realized it was probably getting to the point where regular humans would be throwing in the towel. She excused herself as well, and smiled as she said goodbye to Winry.

"I hope you join us again, Winry. It was nice to meet you."

Winry grinned up at her, "Thanks, you too Riza!"

Not long after Riza left, Winry yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "It was nice chatting mechanics with you guys, but I think I'm going to head home."

She stood and draped her purse strap over her shoulder as Roy and Al called out their goodbyes. Ed slid out after her and stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking pointedly down at her.

Her smile turned a little shy as she nodded at him, then turned to the exit.

* * *

Ed waved over his shoulder at his brother and friend, then followed Winry toward the door. Once they stepped out onto the sidewalk, she sighed and took a deep breath with a smile.

"Ah, fresh air!" She turned and smiled at Edward, "Thanks for inviting me Edward, I had fun! Your friends are very nice."

"No problem. Of course, technically it was Al that invited you." He pulled his keys out of his pocket and gestured toward the car. "Ready?"

She blinked, "Hmm? Oh! I can get home, but thanks! I actually don't live far from here."

He frowned at her and shook his head, "I don't think so. The last time you walked home late at night . . . well. Anyway. I'm taking you home. Hop in."

She bit her lip, and he could tell she was debating between feeling like a nuisance, and the dark empty streets between the Devil's Nest and her apartment. Not that he was taking no for an answer. He gently but firmly grabbed her hand again, and started to his car. Before she could say anything else, he had opened the passenger door and settled her in.

He circled the car and got in himself, gesturing to her seat belt as he buckled his own.

"Well, alright I guess. If you're sure you don't mind."

He raised one eyebrow as he put the car into gear. "Where to?"

She rattled off some directions, and he nodded. He knew the place. "So, just to warn you, Maes _will_ be asking for your number to call you about a job."

She laughed, "Well, that's nice of him, but . . . I don't know. I really haven't been at my job that long. I'd feel kind of funny leaving so quickly."

He shrugged, "I don't know, right out of school, maybe you just didn't find the right fit."

She frowned for a moment, "Maybe. Most of the time it's great. I'm pretty much left to my own research, which is nice. But once a month I have to give a presentation on my progress to the higher-ups. They're pretty intimidating."

"Really? That's funny. I don't really think of anyone at work as being all that intimidating."

She looked at him like he was crazy for a moment. "Really?"

Now he frowned. What did she mean by that? "Well, no. Why? Did you think anyone tonight was scary?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, other than when you glared at every male within twenty feet of me and terrified them into running to the other end of the dance floor . . . no, not really."

When he glanced at her now, she was smirking at him, and he couldn't help but grin back at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Really, Riza's the scary one."

She laughed again, "Riza? I know you guys said she was in security, but she seems like a sweetheart!"

He shuddered at the thought of Riza and her sidearm as he pulled up to Winry's building. "See, much faster than walking."

Before she could try and argue with him again, he got out of the car and went to her side to help her out. He was going to see her to her door, and that was that.

She didn't seem to think this was odd though, and continued as they entered the building, "I like most of my coworkers, actually. There's a big lab that several of us share. Paninya assists all of us: checking equipment and tests and whatnot. It's really just the board that gets creepy. I think they're all related too. They all look kinda alike. Some sort of family business maybe? I haven't really gotten up the nerve to ask anyone."

They'd taken the elevator to the third floor, and were stepping up to number 304 as she dug her keys out of her bag.

"I don't know, I guess I could always interview and see."

He snorted again. The way she'd kept up with Al and Roy, Maes would be an idiot not to hire her.

She stepped into her apartment and left the door open, a clear invitation if he'd ever seen one. He followed her in and pushed the door closed behind him as he glanced around. It looked like a neat and tidy little one bedroom. All soft, bright colors and comfy furniture. Everything was very neat aside from the schematics, laptop, and reference books spread out on the coffee table.

He made his way to her work as she disappeared into the kitchen and called out, "Hey, what company did you say you guys work for anyway. Do you want a glass of water?"

"Sure," he muttered, "Oh, and it's CRD." He was a bit distracted as he glanced over the drawings on the table, flipping up a couple to check the previous versions beneath.

There was a clatter in the kitchen and she poked her wide-eyed head back in, "No way! Central Research and Development? But . . . no way!"

He frowned and turned back to her, "Yeah, why?"

"That's like, a dream company! They don't hire anyone!"

He smirked, "Well, I work there, so . . . "

She rolled her eyes and disappeared into the kitchen again, "You know what I mean! Wow. You really think I stand a chance? I didn't even bother applying when I graduated. I mean, my chances seemed impossible."

She came back in with two glasses of water, handing one to him before she sat on the sofa. He gestured down to her work on the table.

"After your talk tonight with Al, and seeing these? Yeah, you stand a chance. Where are you now?"

She shrugged, but he could tell by her secretive little smirk that she was kind of proud, "Well, it's no CRD, but I'm at Laboratory 5."

It took everything in him to keep his reaction to a calm, slow nod. After a moment he said, "Ah, yeah I've heard of them. Hey, I'll get out of your hair and let you get some sleep."

She nodded and followed him to the door with a smile, "Thanks again for letting me tag along! I really had fun, Edward!"

He smiled at her as he stepped into the hall, "Ed's fine. See ya around?"

"Yeah, sure. Night Ed."

"Night."

He walked slowly toward the stairs until he heard her door lock, and the chain slide into place. Once he turned the corner and started down the stairs, he let a dark frown slide onto his face. But, it wasn't until he stepped onto the sidewalk that he pulled out his phone and hit a contact with his thumb.

"Maes? I'm going to send you Winry's number. In the morning, call and schedule an interview. Make her come tomorrow afternoon, and hire her.  
"Uh, ok man. I didn't realize you were so attached to her, why the rush?"

By the time he slid into his car, his expression would melt stone as he answered, "She's working for the Homunculi."


	7. Chapter 7

Winry was so over this whole vacation thing. It was just after nine in the morning, and she'd already had breakfast, done the dishes, written up a grocery list, and checked up on all her normal internet haunts.

Now she was sitting on the couch, mindlessly surfing the few channels she had with her basic cable package. Since she wasn't home much, she didn't have a lot of options there. Besides, morning tv just sorta sucked.

She yelped when her cell started buzzing on the kitchen countertop where she'd left it while doing the dishes. She ran over and picked it up quickly to keep it from going to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Winry! Long time no see!"

She frowned at the male voice, knowing it was vaguely familiar, but not placing it.

"Uh, good morning. Who-"

"It's Maes, from last night? I hear great things, Miss. Rockbell! Great things! I was hoping you could come in later today for an interview?"

She blinked, "Oh. Um, today? "

She looked down at her pink plaid flannel pajama pants, white tank top, and bare feet.

"Sure! My whole schedule is very flexible today, it could be any time, really. I'll leave your name at the front desk. Just let them know you're there to see me! Sound like a plan?"

"Um . . ."

"Great! I'll see you later, Winry!"

"Uh . . ."

She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it, the dial tone filling her little apartment. With a shrug, she hit the 'end call' and headed to the bathroom. She supposed she should take a shower.

* * *

Ed didn't sleep, but sometimes, if he didn't keep himself busy, he sort of zoned out and memories came back in flashes that built on each other until he swamped himself in guilt. His mother getting sick, and his father leaving. Al getting sick just before Mom died, and then wasting away while Ed sat around helplessly. His father coming back, with his odd idea of a 'cure' that sounded more than a little like a fairy tale.

Then the worst parts. He insisted on trying this 'cure' himself, first. Days of burning pain and torture, then sweet oblivion. Ed had welcomed death, by then, but when he opened his eyes again it was shocking. The world was brighter, sharper. He remembered looking over and seeing Al, writhing on his own bed.

Father hadn't waited for Ed to wake up before 'curing' Al.

Ed stood up and paced the small day room. Back and forth to give himself something else to focus on. It hadn't taken long for Ed to improve, but Al took weeks. For a long time, Ed had thought they would have been better off if their father had never come home.

So close. He was getting so much closer to a real cure. He just needed to focus.

* * *

Winry took a steadying breath as she stepped up to the CRD offices. She hadn't noticed it until now, but she was actually really close to Ed's apartment building. In fact, she was pretty sure his place was right behind CRD. Huh. Easy commute.

She pulled the strap of the clear plastic tube holding her schematics and diagrams higher onto her shoulder, and clenched the handle of her laptop bag tighter as she stepped up to the automatic doors. They slid silently aside as she glanced around the lobby.

Cream and gold marble floors led up to a receptionist's desk with the logo back lit behind it. Three sets of brass elevator doors were lined up behind the desk, where the smiling receptionist waited patiently for Winry to walk up.

"Hello! Welcome to Central Research and Development. How can I help you today?"

Winry smiled, "Hi. I'm here to see Maes Hughes. Oh, um, I'm Winry Rockbell?"

She felt like a complete dolt. This was probably all some strange prank. Like Winry would fit in at an elite company like CRD.

The smiling receptionist looked down and was skimming some lists when a voice came from Winry's right.

"I'll take care of her, Maria."

Winry hadn't noticed the inconspicuous door there before, but that was clearly where the tall blonde woman had come from.

"Oh, Riza! Hello again."

Riza was dressed in a navy blue pantsuit today, with a sharp white blouse. She smiled at Winry, "Good to see you, Winry. Maes called down and told me to expect you."

Riza walked over to the desk and reached behind it to pull out a small manila envelope. She tilted it and poured out a plastic id badge, which she handed to Winry. Winry glanced down at the word 'Guest' and the date under the CRD logo. A glance at the older woman showed that she wore a similar bagde, but hers had a headshot, her name, and "Head of Security" as well. They each also had barcodes across the bottom.

Winry set her bag down on the floor briefly to clip her new badge to her own shirt's lapel. Picking her bag back up, she looked up at Riza and smiled.

"Excellent. Follow me?"

Winry nodded, and the two of them stepped over to the far right elevator. Riza hit the button, and the doors opened immediately. The stepped in, and Riza swiped her id badge and hit the floor before turning to Winry.

"It's good to see you again. I hope everything works out, and you like it here. There are good people here. "

Winry smiled, "Me too! But, I don't know. This place is supposed to be amazing. I'm not sure I'm up to it yet."

Riza nodded, "I can see you thinking that. But, keep this in mind. CRD is more about getting the right employees, than the best. Mindset, goals, ethics. Those are more important here than anything."

Winry smiled, "Thanks. I'll remember."

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened to reveal a more typical office setting. A small bank of cubicles, about two thirds occupied, took up the middle of the room. What appeared to be various offices and perhaps some conference rooms made up the outer edges. Riza took off for one door on the far right, and knocked briefly before opening the door.

"Maes? Miss Rockbell is here."

"Great!" Winry could hear the enthusiasm from the hallway as Riza stepped aside and gestured Winry in with a smile.

Winry returned the smile, and then stepped into the office. Maes was standing from his desk and walking over to her, arms outstretched. He grabbed her free right hand and pumped it up and down several times with a beaming grin on his face so fast that she didn't have time for her heart do more than skip a beat. Pulling his hand back quickly, he led her over to his desk and gestured to one of the chairs in front of it. She sat down, putting the computer and drawings down next to her chair. She leaned over and flipped open the bag, pulling out a piece of heavy paper.

"Welcome, Winry! So glad you made it! Please, come in."

"I didn't really have time to update my resume, but I added my current employer to me old one and printed it out really quickly."

She slid the sheet across to him and he took it with a quick, "Yes, of course," but he barely glanced at it before setting it aside. He looked pointedly at the tube leaning against her chair. "More importantly, it seems you brought some of your work?"

She nodded, "Oh, yes. Would you like . . .?"

He waved his hands in front of him and chuckled, "Oh, I'm sure it's all beyond me. Why don't I have our head of research come in? He'll look over it all with us."

She nodded, but he was already pushing buttons on the phone on his desk and picking up the handset.

"Hey, it's Maes. Is now ok with you? Great, see you in a minute! Oh, yeah, the conference room, good idea. Uh huh."

Maes dropped the phone into its cradle and stood, coming around his desk. He leaned over and picked up her bag, then gestured toward the door with his free hand.

"Could you follow me, Winry? We're going to do this in the conference room instead."

For some reason, he was staring out the windows as he said this. Winry shrugged and smiled. Standing, she picked up her tube of schematics and followed Maes out into the main room, then over to another door. He held the door and gestured for her to precede him, which she did.


	8. Chapter 8

Ed looked up from his book as his computer alerted him to an incoming message. He was sprawled on the floor of his day room, surrounded by books and scribbled notes. Al was always bugging him that at his age, Ed should have gotten his handwriting at least legible.

He pulled the computer closer and pulled up the chat screen to see a message from Al.

"Your girlfriend is here."

Ed glared down at the screen as he typed back, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh. Roy and I were going over some data when Maes called him to go over her work. They're all up there talking. You should have come in today."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Why? I can work just as well here."

"Yeah, but Winry isn't in your closet."

Ed shut the laptop and glared down at it for a moment. Technically, he did have a few simulations running in his lab at work. He should probably check on those. He stared at the shut door for a moment, then pulled out his cell. According to the weather app, it was mostly cloudy, and a storm was moving in. If he was quick, he could run to the safety of the hallway and be in the stairwell.

He stood up and dug around to see which books and notes he should take with him. Stuffing them into a bag, he slid it over his head and went to the door. He grabbed the handle with his left hand and shifted his weight in preparation for the mad dash through his apartment. With his right hand, he quickly keyed in the unlock code.

When the door's locking mechanism clicked, he slammed the door open and raced through his apartment. He was lucky the weather app was correct today. It was pretty dark outside with the rolling clouds and lightning flashing in the distance. As he made it to the door of his apartment, and out into the hall, he feel the slight warmth of his skin. Not even a real sunburn by human standards. He was probably a little pink, but that would be faded by the time he made it to the office.

Ed made sure his apartment door locked, and entered the elevator. Hitting the sub-basement level, he leaned against the wall with one foot pulled up. It was a short walk through an underground maintenance hallway that connected to the CRD building, and then he would be in the underground levels where most of the company's labs were.

* * *

Glancing around as Winry entered the conference room, she popped the top off of the tube and pulled out the rolls of paper. Aside from the door they'd entered from, there were no windows and one other door that was oddly metal. In fact, it looked like a smaller version of the elevators she'd come up in. Just as she was weighing down the curling corners her work with empty water glasses from the table, the brass door slid open.

Sure enough, it was a small elevator. Probably wouldn't really hold more than two people, she thought. For now, Roy stepped out with a warm smile and crossed over to her. He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned over to start studying her work. She left him to those while pulling out her laptop and clicking it to wake it up.

Setting the laptop on the table, she brought up a few of her files and projections as he started flipping through the sheets.

"I see why Ed was so excited. This is groundbreaking stuff, Miss. Rockbell!"

"Please, call me Winry.

She felt her cheeks pink with pleasure that the head of R&D at such a major company was impressed with her work. Before she knew it, they were discussing wiring issues, voltage, and housing restraints. As she showed him her data from the simulations she'd been running lately, she couldn't help but get her hopes up that this could work out after all.

* * *

Ed was slipping his bag over his head as he entered his lab, but he froze, one hand still on the door, when he saw his brother waiting for him. Al was leaning against one of the tables, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

"You got here awfully quick, brother."

Ed glared at his younger brother and walked over to the computer in the corner as he answered, "I forgot I'd left some simulations running the other day. They should be finished soon, and the weather was cooperating."

Al's response was a dry, "Uh huh."

Ed tapped the mouse to wake the computer up, and dropped the bag of books to the floor with a thud. Glancing across the various readouts, he frowned.

"Looks like they need a couple more hours. But initial estimates look good."

"Really?" Al pushed away from the table and came to stand next to his brother. He nodded after a moment, "You're right. This is promising."

Soon enough, both brothers were engrossed in the numbers scrolling across the screen.

* * *

"Well, I think this is all very exciting, Winry." Roy was smiling, "Would you like a tour of the labs? There's some pretty interesting projects going on right now."

Winry barely suppressed an excited hop as she quickly rolled her papers back up and stuck them in the tube, "Really? I mean, I would love to, but I'm technically the competition-"

Maes laughed, "Only if you plan on turning down my job offer!"

She blinked and glanced between the two men, "Really? I mean, I get the job?"

"Sure! We'd be crazy to pass up the chance to have you on our team! We can go over numbers after Roy gives you the tour. I'll get some paperwork started, just head back up here when you're done downstairs."

"Great! Thank you so much!"

Roy had already stepped over and pressed the button to call the elevator, and the doors silently opened once more. She picked up her laptop and shoved it into her bag. Gathering all her things, she walked over to the elevator.

As she followed him in, Roy explained, "We try to keep it a little difficult for random visitors to make it into the labs. You can't reach them from the lobby elevators directly. And all the high profile work is done in basement level labs."

She glanced at the floor buttons. There were labels for sub-levels 1-5, and a big C that she assumed meant the conference room they'd just left.

"That makes sense. At Lab 5, I have to go through four manned security stations to get to my lab. X-rays, metal detectors: the whole works. They even go through my purse and lunch every day."

Roy raised an eyebrow, but the elevator stopped and the door slid open. He gestured her out, and she stepped into a long white hallway. Several doors and windows were on each side, and he started walking and gesturing.

"My office is at the end here. I don't really do much research of my own anymore, just oversee the others. Feel free to come to me for anything you need at all. I approve equipment purchases, time on the heavy duty computers, that sort of thing. Anything remotely reasonable is of course approved, but there's always the paperwork."

He sighed dramatically at the mention of the paperwork, and she giggled into her hand.

"This floor has all our top researchers on it, of course. This is Al's lab." He poked his head into the open door, and frowned when he saw nobody was inside. He leaned back and looked at the door across the hall. "Must be in Ed's lab."

He walked over to the door and gave a quick knock before pushing it open. "Al? Oh, good morning Ed. I didn't realize you were coming in today."

Winry stopped in the doorway, but looked over to the two blondes leaning over a computer monitor. They both looked up owlishly at Roy, but then Al waved the man over.

"C'mon Roy, Ed's initial data is coming through, and it looks great! Hey Winry! Come see, this is amazing!"

Author's notes:

Alright, now that all the main players are really integrated, more and more vampire/supernatural stuff will start happening. I hope everyone likes where I go with all of that, let me know if not, or if you have any suggestions! I'm not basing the vampire abilities on any specific 'world' or anything, but rather drawing from a bunch of different ones mixed with my own ideas. Thanks everyone!


	9. Chapter 9

Winry considered herself a fairly intelligent person. However, after looking over the shoulders of Ed, Al, and Roy, she quickly realized this was not her area of expertise. Apparently Edward's research was related to diseases and pathogens. Winry was essentially an engineer, with a medical application, but not in microscopic terms.

The three men chattered excitedly for several minutes, and Winry decided she was very much forgotten. Smiling at their enthusiasm, she looked around and studied the room. There were three different computer stations, various microscopes, centrifuges, and refrigerated cases. She stepped over to the nearest case and scanned row after row of carefully labeled samples. Most of them appeared to be blood samples, but there was clearly a variety.

"Oh, sorry Winry. We kind of got sidetracked there, huh?"

She turned and smiled at Roy's comment, but noticed the two brothers blushing sheepishly beside him.

"No problem!"

Roy smiled, "Why don't we show you your lab, and we can discuss your needs?"

* * *

Ed waved nonchalantly as Roy escorted the blonde from his lab. He turned back to his computer with one final glance at her retreating form, when his brother elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Hey! Al!"

"Well, looks like she'll be working right here with us, huh Brother?"

Ed shrugged and stood, walking over to the locked stainless steel fridge in the corner. Keying open the digital lock he grabbed a travel mug from on top of the case. Glancing to the door of the lab, he held the mug inside the fridge and emptied a bag of blood into it. Securing the lid tightly, he raised an eyebrow in question to his brother.

Al shook his head and stretched his thin arms over his head. "I need to get back to my own work. I can't let your successes distract me too long!"

Ed rolled his eyes, "Don't get too excited, Al. I just isolated it, not eradicated it. There's still a long way to go."

Al smiled at his older brother from the door, "I know you can do it, brother. I have faith in you."

Ed raised his mug to his brother, than took a sip. He always did better if he kept a small but steady supply of blood. Al needed a lot less in general, basically two or three small 'meals' a day depending on his activity levels. Roy was more of a binger. He would go a couple of days without feeding, and then go through a pretty substantial supply.

Ed made them all keep detailed charts of their intake, both blood and anything else they ingested. Their anatomy had been changed by vampirism so that they really couldn't handle anything solid, but liquids still went through their systems just fine. They didn't need anything but blood to survive, but they all agreed that a little variety was nice.

Roy had a very impressive bar in his apartment, as well as a stash in his office that would be embarrassing for a human. Al liked ice cream. Any flavor. He had a chest freezer filled with more flavors at any one time than most people probably thought existed. He claimed that he liked the feeling of it being fairly solid before it melted, but Ed was pretty sure he just had a sweet tooth.

Ed was a tea guy, personally. Normally he had quite a variety stashed away at home and work, but he was actually fairly low at the moment. Checking his simulation real quick, he went over to another computer and pulled up some of his regular online sources to place some big orders.

* * *

Winry couldn't believe the lab they were giving her! It was at least as big as the space she shared with several other people at Laboratory 5, and they were going to totally customize it to suit her specific field.

Roy had left her to go see what they had on hand, and she was smiling as she ran her hands over countertops and cabinets.

"Uh, Winry?"

She looked up to see a familiar blonde man standing in the doorway. She smiled up at him, "Oh, did you need something, Edward?"

He shrugged, "Roy just got caught up in something, so he wanted me to take you back up to Maes. I guess you have some paperwork to go over with him." He glanced around the mostly empty room, "Uh, if you're done in here. I don't think it's a big rush."

"Oh no, that's fine. Thanks."  
He nodded and stepped into the hall, gesturing down toward the elevators. "So, what do you think of the place?"  
She smiled and fell into step beside him, "Well, I haven't seen much yet, but it's very impressive so far."

He blinked over at her, "Oh, I thought you were getting the whole 'Grande Tour' thing?"

She shrugged and chuckled, "Yeah, but then we got distracted by research and lab spaces!"

"Oh, well, do you want me to show you around a bit?"

She turned and grinned at him, "I don't want to take you away from your work, it looks like you're at a really important spot-"  
He waved a hand, "Nah, my simulations are taking longer than I expected, and there's not much I can do until they're finished."

* * *

Before he knew it, Ed was showing her all around the sub-levels of the building. That was where she'd be most of the time, anyway, as a researcher. The levels above ground were all boring stuff like accounting, as far as Ed was concerned.

He showed her the break room, introduced her to some of the other employees she was likely to run into regularly, and then found himself pausing thoughtfully next to a door he knew really well.

"Oh, and I guess I should tell you about this."

She looked at him for a moment, then leaned around him to look at the door marked "Maintenance" in bright red.

"In case of emergency, this is probably your best bet. Since we're below ground and all. This is a maintenance area for this building, and my apartment building. Connects the two. I actually use it to get back and forth. Much quicker than by street."

She nodded, but he could see that she found it a little odd to be pointing it out. He hurriedly moved on down the hall to the elevator.

"I guess, that's all the important stuff. All the upstairs stuff is pretty dull. Security, IT, accounting: that sort of stuff."

She smiled as they stepped through the brass doors, "Thanks, Edward."

He cringed, "Just call me Ed. Everyone else does. And my brother usually prefers Al, too. We're pretty informal, really."

She snorted, "Could have fooled me, with all the security."

"Huh?"

She gestured vaguely about, "Tons of cameras, having to take two sets of elevators to get to the labs. And, even upstairs, there aren't many windows really."

"Oh, uh, never really noticed the window thing."

Ed awkwardly looked away from her and shifted his weight.

She shrugged, "I only really noticed because it's a lot like this at Lab 5, too. Still seems a little strange, but I'm used to it now, I guess. At least you guys don't have armed guards all over the place."

He looked sharply over at her, "Armed guards? That seems . . . extreme."

She shrugged, "I think they have some military contracts or something. Wasn't really my field."

The elevator opened and he held a hand up to keep it that way as she stepped out. Maes was walking into the conference room with a big grin and an even bigger stack of papers. Ed waved to the man, but looked to Winry as she spoke.

"Thanks again, Ed. See you around!"

He nodded and smiled, then stepped back to allow the elevator to close.

* * *

Maes stacked the papers neatly and raised two fingers to his forehead in an informal 'salute', "Well, that finishes up most of the paperwork. When do you want to start?"

She frowned, "Hmm, I guess Monday? I need to head in to give them my resignation and gather my stuff. Will that work?"

He nodded, "Sure, not a big rush. Roy called me, and it will take a few days before they get your space fully set up anyway. I'll have Riza meat you in the lobby on your way out, and they can take a quick picture for your id badge, that way it will be waiting for you Monday morning. Like I said, hours are pretty loose here. We have all you creative types, so we're used to your strange ways." He grinned at her and stood. "Ed is essentially nocturnal, but he randomly pops up during the days. Roy practically lives here."

Winry laughed, "I don't think I'll be nocturnal, but I do get caught up in things and pull late nights occasionally."

He picked up the phone from the conference table and hit a few buttons. After a pause, she heard him giving Riza a head's up about the id. After he hung up, he gestured her out into the cubicle room again, then led her to the main elevators.

"Once you get your badge, that will open the elevators and most of the doors in the company. " He followed her into the elevator long enough to swipe his card and hit the button for the Lobby. "See you Monday!"

She waved and smiled as the elevator doors closed. How exciting!

* * *

Roy, Ed, Al, Maes, and Riza gathered grim-faced around Roy's desk.

Roy nodded, "Alright, what do we all think?"

Al shrugged one shoulder from his seat next to Ed on the sofa. "Well, she seems sincere. And wicked smart. I fully plan on grilling her for input on my own project."

Maes nodded firmly, "It's pretty clear why they recruited her. I'm surprised we didn't pick her up, honestly."

Roy waved a hand dismissively, "Can't catch them all. Riza?"

"Her background check seems legitimate. No red flags at all. She's from a small town. Her parents were field surgeons with the military, and died overseas when she was young. She was raised by her grandmother, who is also mechanically inclined. I've delved pretty deep, but like I said, nothing popped up that concerns me."

Roy nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Ed?"

The blonde shrugged and shifted, "It does seem hard to believe she is a plant. She just happened to be attacked while I was out randomly one night, and is a specialist in a field that none of us have ever shown much interest in? Don't buy it."

Roy nodded, "Excellent. Then we'll treat her like a normal employee, but remember to be cautious. Any info we can get on the Homunculi Clan would of course be beneficial, but don't push too hard, too fast."

There were muttered words and gestures of acknowledgement and agreement before everyone filed out. Ed and Al bringing up the rear of the group.

"Well, lucky you, huh Brother?"

Ed rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Al. Don't you have some toy robots to go play with?"

Al just laughed and disappeared into his lab.

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews and such! I'm very surprised by the positive response!

Next chapter, Winry breaks ties with her old job.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a little earlier than Winry normally would be getting to work on a Friday morning, but she just couldn't sleep last night with all the excitement. Since she was up, she had decided to make her way in anyway. Entering through the employee entrance as usual, she smiled at the stone-faced guard who just held out his hand for her bag.

She kept the smile on her face, but mentally sighed as she handed over her purse. He pulled out the folder first, but barely glanced at the short paragraph printed on the single sheet inside. A thorough poke around failed to find anything that could possibly be a security risk, and soon he'd handed her bag back after waving her through the metal detector. Even though CRD had a lot of security, it wasn't nearly as hands on as Lab 5. It took her longer to get to her workspace than even the double elevator nonsense at her new employer.

She smiled to herself at the thought of her new job. The pay increase, amazing benefits, and the intellectual freedom were like a dream come true, really. Plus, the minds she would be working with were clearly superior. If anything, she was afraid she was going to disappoint them.

She set her bag onto her counter and pulled up her company email. She had missed several things on her days off, but nothing too earth shattering. She answered a few questions, forwarded a few messages on, and left a few sitting unanswered since she felt uncomfortable dealing with them considering her next stop.

She scanned her area critically. Tossing a few personal belongings into the large purse she'd brought today for that purpose, she stacked a few papers into the folder and nodded at one task finished quickly. While she was working on prosthetics for Lab 5, they weren't exactly where she had wanted the project to go. Most of her work here wouldn't advance her true project anyway. Her really useful stuff was in her personal notes and work at home.

"Hey, Winry, I thought we talked about this whole vacation thing?"

Winry grinned over at her friend, "Well, I have some news, Paninya! You'll never believe this!"

The blonde pulled her friend in close and whispered, "I'm quitting! I start Monday at CRD!"

Paninya squealed, "That's amazing! How-"  
Winry covered her friend's mouth with a chuckle, "Ed and his friends? They work there. I guess I impressed them the other day, and they had me come in for an interview yesterday."

"Wow, Win, that's amazing! Good for you."

"Thanks! Now, before I lose my nerve, I'm going to head up to HR and turn in my resignation."

* * *

Ed looked up at the firm knock on the lab door, which instantly opened to reveal Izumi. She was the Bio-chem specialist of the group, and she and Edward often bounced ideas off of each other.

"Edward, do you have a moment?"

"Sure, Izumi. Whatcha got?"

She spread some papers out on the table, and he rolled his chair over to glance them over.

"I think this could help with the global donor problem, but I've hit a bit of a wall. I was talking to Al earlier, and he thought some of your recent simulations might apply?"

He skimmed the data, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I think so. I'll print you out a set of the summarized data, and drop the detailed analysis into your folder on the server. Could you keep me posted? This may help my next step, too."

She smiled and patted his shoulder, "Of course, Edward. Thank you."

Her smile suddenly took a sharper feeling somehow, and Ed couldn't help but tense up. Izumi could be one scary lady. She had taken Ed and Al in after they left their father, and taught the boys all about being a vampire. Including how to defend themselves from other vampires.

It turned out that there were quite a few vampires out in the world. Some, like Izumi had at the time, made their own way. Most, for safety mostly, grouped up into Clans. Some Clans recruited humans that they turned to fill their own ranks. Some were made up of totally unrelated (before or after vampirism) but like-minded people. She pieced together that their father had been turned by a pretty nasty group known as the Homunculi Clan. She helped them dodge their father and his new Clan until they were able to defend themselves. By then, they'd pretty much decided it was best to stick together anyway.

Eventually, they also stumbled across Roy. He was much more integrated into society than the other three. When he found out about Ed's obsession with a cure, they eventually sort of fell into forming their own Clan. They took the name Alchemist because of their mutual appreciation for science, but with a nod to their obvious not-so-scientific natures.

If Izumi was giving him that look, he'd known her long enough to realize that she was pretty serious about something.

"Uh, was there something else you needed, Izumi?"

Her fingers tightened slightly on his shoulder, not painful, but firm.

"Al also mentioned something else. A certain cute little blonde engineer."

Ed sighed and rolled his eyes, "Al talks too much."

She sighed and leaned against the table, looking down at him with a serious expression, "Ed, you know I love Sig. But, you also know what it has cost me to love a human. What it will cost us. Just, be careful, ok?"

He was about to make a sarcastic retort, but he paused at the pain in her eyes. With a sigh he answered, "Sure Izumi."

She nodded, patted his shoulder again before ruffling her hand through his bangs, and gathered up her papers again. "Thanks again, Ed."

* * *

Well, she'd done it. Winry had handed in her resignation, and signed the appropriate papers. She was free! She sighed in relief as she stepped back out onto the street. By this time Monday, she'd be settling into her fancy new lab. All she had to do now was gather up all her research at home to take in next week. Maybe her friend Rose would give her a lift, since it would be an awful lot to take in by hand, and she really wanted to get started as soon as possible.

With all the plans and thoughts circling her mind, it's no surprise that she was home before she knew it. She pulled the folder from her purse, and dropped it on the coffee table. Now it contained her paperwork she'd brought from Laboratory 5, so she'd need to take that with her too on Monday.

She started gathering research, notes, and schematics from various flat surfaces and cubby holes around her apartment. Winry was a little surprised at how much she had accumulated, really. She was definitely going to need a ride on Monday morning. She should give Rose a call.

At that thought, her phone rang as if by magic, and she picked it up in surprise.

"Hello?"

"Winry, hello! It's Al. Ed's brother?"

"Oh. Hello again Al, how are you?"

"I'm great! Actually, a couple of us were talking, and we thought we should get together tonight to celebrate the newest member of our CRD family! Are you free tonight?"

She smiled, "Aw, that's sweet of you, Al! I don't have any plans tonight, that sounds like fun! Do you mind if I bring Paninya again?"

"Sure, bring anyone you want. The more the merrier! Does the Devil's Nest sound good again?"

"That sounds fine, Al. I'll meet you guys there!"

"Great! See you later, Winry!"

Winry couldn't help the grin plastered on her face all afternoon as she finished gathering her work things.

* * *

"Oh, Edwaaaaaaaaard!"

Ed raised one eyebrow, but kept his face plastered to the microscope, "What now, Al?"

This ought to be good.

"You need to go get ready, if you're going to be on time for the party!"

Now Ed raised his head to look at his younger brother in confusion, "What party?"

Al rolled his eyes dramatically, "Winry's 'Welcome to CRD' party, of course! In fact, if you better hurry, if you want to get to her place in time to give her a lift. You know, keep her from having to walk? See you at the Nest, brother!"

Ed stared slack jawed at the closing door of his lab as Al disappeared amazingly quickly. After a moment, he blinked, closed his mouth, and glanced at the clock. Well, crap.

* * *

Winry was curling the last piece of her long blonde hair when she heard a knock at the apartment door. Humming to herself, she padded barefoot over and raised up on tiptoes slightly to look through the peephole. Recognizing the blonde form in the hall with a slightly put out expression, she flipped the lock and opened the door.

"Ed? What are you doing here?"

He frowned slightly, "Al said I should . . . oh. That nosy little-" Ed sighed, "Sorry, I think my meddling little brother thinks he's a matchmaker now. "

Winry giggled and stepped back, gesturing him into her apartment, "That's ok. I'm almost ready, just let me grab my shoes and purse."

He nodded and stepped aside as she closed the door and darted into her bedroom. She pulled out the little black handbag she usually used when she went out, and slid on the red flats she'd set aside earlier. Flipping her hair over her shoulder she went back out to see Ed peering at the piles of her research.

He looked up as she came back in, "Is this all your research? I didn't realize you had so much."

She laughed, "I didn't either until I put it all in one place. I called a friend, and she's going to give me a lift into work on Monday so I can get it all there in one trip."

He opened his mouth, but then closed it with a snap and looked away guiltily. She paused, wondering about that, but he seemed to shake it off quickly.

"That's nice of her."

She nodded as they stepped into the hall, "She is pretty nice."

* * *

Ed had been about to offer Winry a ride to work, but realized just in time that unless she was going in before dawn, that wouldn't end well. He watched her lock her apartment door and they made their way out to his car. They chatted about CRD as he drove them through the evening streets.

"Paninya was pretty excited. About my new job, and tonight. She always says I need to get out more, and twice in one week has her over the moon."

Ed snorted, "Sounds like Al. He thinks I work too much, but I just get absorbed in the research."

She nodded excitedly, "Precisely! And each step gets you closer and closer to something amazing."

He smirked over at her as he pulled into a parking spot, and they made their way inside. A smiling group greeted them happily as they entered the same roped off area as the other night and Ed was again amazed at how quickly Winry slid comfortably into the group. The evening kicked into high gear now that the guest of honor had arrived, and a round of drinks soon was delivered.

Edward noticed that Winry kept glancing to the entrance, but she seemed to shake it off pretty quickly each time and seemed to have no problem joining the fun.

* * *

Paninya was way late, and that girl was never late to a party. Winry was a little worried, but figured something must have come up at work. As the assistant, a lot of the scientists and researchers tended to dump things on her at the end of the day so they could get home, particularly on Fridays. Still, it was a good bit later than she was usually kept.

She glanced to the door once more while blindly reaching for her drink on the table. She gave a startled squeak as a hand firmly wrapped around her wrist and Ed shouted, "Winry wait!"

She stared at him with one raised eyebrow, confused by the horrified look hon his face. Several of the people in their group glanced their way to see what was going on.

"Edward?"

He glanced around for a moment before stuttering out, "Uh, I mean, that's, er, mine."

He released her wrist and quickly switched their cups. Winry looked over to Al who was standing nearby to see if he could shed any light on the situation, but his face looked almost as horrified as his brother's had.

"Ok, sorry, Mister Germaphobic!"

He gave a strained chuckle, but they both looked down at the table as Winry's phone buzzed. She flipped it over and smiled in relief as she saw Paninya's name flashing on the screen.

She answered the call, "Hey, hang on Paninya! It's loud here, let me get somewhere quieter!"

Winry glanced around as she rose from the table, and then threaded her way through the crowd to the hall with the bathrooms. There was a door between the crowd and the hallway, and then the door to the Ladies' room as well, so by the time she got there it was reasonably quieter.

"Ok, sorry. That's better. Where are you?"  
"Winry, good Lord, what did you do?"

The panic and fear in her friend's voice was so thick, that Winry was startled into silence.

"Not an hour after you left to go to HR, I got dragged upstairs. The entire board was there, and they've been grilling me for hours! I just got home."

"What? But that's crazy! I just got a new job."

There was a snort, "Well, they were going flipping nuts! They wanted to know where you were going, how long they've been courting you, what they offered. I tried telling them I'd only talked to you for a couple seconds while you picked up your things. I tried not to tell them much, which was easy since I don't know anything."

"Oh, Paninya, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry, I just wanted to give you a heads up. The powers that be of Laboratory 5 are not happy that they lost their best and brightest. I have a feeling they're going to call me in again on Monday, and they only let me go when they did so they could talk amongst themselves."

"Wow. I can't believe they're taking this so seriously! I haven't been there that long, and they haven't really paid all that much attention to me."

Paninya paused thoughtfully, "Well, they weren't happy from the get go, but they didn't get super upset until I said that I thought you'd gone to Central. Maybe they really hate CRD more than we thought?"

"Hmm. Maybe."

"Look, Win, just be careful. We've talked about how these guys are a little spooky before but today? Winry, they were scary. Hardcore."

"Oh, Paninya."

"Anyway, sorry to miss your shindig, but today was pretty draining. I'm gonna just crash. I'll call you later. Maybe we can get together this weekend?"

"Yeah, sure, of course. Rest up. And thanks again!"

"Sure hun. Night!"

Winry ended the call and frowned thoughtfully at her reflection for a long moment before heading back out to the party.

* * *

Author's Notes:

So. This chapter got a little long and out of hand, lol. Hopefully it's getting a little clearer about the Clans and such. Basically, the Alchemist Clan will consist of FMA characters who were alchemists. So, Izumi: Vampire. Sig: Human. Etc. The Homunculi are more self-explanatory I guess, but along those lines. I'm not sure where Chimera will fit in, but I'm also not sure how big of a deal they will be to the story in the long run anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

Something was wrong.

Ed had been watching Winry ever since she came back from her phone call. She smiled, laughed, and still joined in on conversations. But, there was a tightness around her eyes and mouth that she couldn't shake. She kept wringing her hands, or shredding a napkin, anything to keep her hands busy.

Eventually, the crowd began to disperse. Riza, Maes, and the normal humans first. When Winry was the last human left, he caught her elbow and asked her if she was tired. She smiled gratefully and nodded. They made their farewells, and were soon in Ed's car on their way to her apartment.

"Winry, is everything ok?"

She frowned, "Was it that obvious?"

He shook his head and changed lanes, "Nah. But you did seem a little tense there at the end."

She sighed and pulled her feet up onto the seat, wrapping her arms around her knees as she said, "I guess they didn't take me leaving Lab 5 too well. The board called Paninya up and grilled her for hours about it. Why was I leaving? How long had I been thinking about it? What did you guys offer me. She said they were pretty . . . intense."

Ed frowned over the steering wheel, "Is she ok?"

"I guess. She said they just kept asking questions, but it was pretty exhausting. She's going to call me and get together for lunch or something this weekend."

"If things get out of hand, let me know. Or Roy, or Maes. Someone. We can take care of things."

She smiled weakly and nodded, "I appreciate it, but I'm sure they were just startled. Like I said, I haven't been there long, and this was pretty sudden."

"Alright, but keep it in mind."

They had pulled up to her building by now, and they were both pretty quiet as he showed her up to her door. She waved vaguely inside as she opened the door.

"Do you want to come in?"

He smiled but shook his head, "That's alright. You need your rest. I'll see you Monday, but remember to call me if you need anything."

She smiled and nodded, but he didn't move until he heard the door lock. He was making a habit of leaving Winry's apartment angry, he thought, as he stormed out of the building.

* * *

When Winry got up the next morning, she decided she could use some 'Girl Time' after the hectic week she'd had. She messaged Rose and Paninya, and the three agreed that a shopping spree was long overdue.

They had a blast, and Winry was pretty excited about some new outfits she could wear to her new job this week, especially a pair of boots that she got an amazing deal on. Eventually, they found themselves at an outdoor table at a café they frequently went to after their shopping trips. After ordering and comparing deals once again, Rose leaned her chin onto her hands, elbows on the table, and smiled at Winry.

"So, tell me about this new job!"

Winry smiled, "It's a dream job! Total intellectual freedom, great funding, and a lot of flexibility. I may need to hit up the tanning bed eventually though!"

Rose leaned back and tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

Winry shrugged, "The labs are all subterranean, so no windows. I think it's some sort of safety precaution or something. Nobody there seemed to think it was odd at all."

The blonde shrugged, but Rose was giving her an odd look.

She may have pressed, but Paninya piped up with, "Plus, working with all the hotties isn't a bad perk!"

Winry rolled her eyes and laughed, "Trust you, Paninya. But, seriously, they're all like, crazy smart."

Rose raised one eyebrow, "Coming from you?"

She shook her head, "No, really. While I was there, a few of us were looking at some recent results of Ed's and I was totally lost. Granted, not my field, but still."

Rose shrugged, "I never understand it when you talk about your work. Not exactly comparable to my hours at the daycare."

Paninya nodded, "You were way smarter than the other guys at the lab, too. I'm sure you'll blow them away. Why else would they have hired you?" Her eyes turned mischievous, "Unless Ed just has a lot of pull."

"Ed?"

Winry waved a dismissive hand, "She's talking about the guy who introduced me to all of the CRD crew. He's one of their researchers. I had a bit of trouble the other day, and he came along and helped me out. Next thing I know: new job."

Rose smiled, "I'm glad it's working out for you. I told you that you were going to go far!"

Winry smiled her thanks as their order arrived; glad she had such good friends.

* * *

"I don't know, Ed. I'm not sure there's a real threat here."

Ed glared over his kitchen counter at Roy, "I'm telling you, the girl was scared. You met her the other night. I don't think she's the type to shake too easily."

Roy nodded, "Maybe, but they let her go. If they'd meant her harm, the Homunculi were more than capable of taking care of it then."

Ed scoffed, "She works for them. Not like there's a rush."

"You said she and Winry are going to get together this weekend?" At Ed's nod, he continued, "Alright, feel Winry out on Monday. See if this Paninya girl is still shaken. If she is, we can look into it further. They'd be stupid to threaten outright conflict with our clan over one human after all this time."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Like they're known for their intelligence. There's a reason they hire their brains in to compete with us."

* * *

As Maes had told her, Riza was waiting in the lobby for her Monday morning with a welcoming smiled. Of course, her expression dimmed slightly at the sight of Winry and Rose dragging in mass amounts of papers, scale models, and long rolls of schematics stuffed into cardboard boxes.

After a brief discussion, (Yes, there are a couple more trips worth of this.) Riza made a quick call. Soon enough, they'd gotten everything piled neatly in the lobby where someone from maintenance would be along shortly to see that it all made it down to Winry's new lab. With another heartfelt thanks from Winry, Rose was soon on her way.

Now that Winry's hands were no longer full of paper and cardboard, Riza was able to hand over her new id badge and explain a few last minute things.

"Uh, quick question, Riza?"

"Of course."

Winry smiled sheepishly, "Um, do I go through the conference room upstairs, or-"

Riza laughed softly, "No, that was just easiest from Maes' office. Here. You can reach the labs from the far right elevator here, as long as you have your badge. It comes out next to the break rooms on your level."

"Ah!" Winry now recalled seeing it, but her tour had been a little . . . unconventional. "Thank you!"

"Not a problem. If you need anything at all, Security is extension 9 on all the phones in the building."

Winry nodded, and stepped into the elevator. Remembering from last week, she swiped her card and selected her floor. She'd brought her bag with her laptop and most important papers, but left everything else in the lobby. There was a definite bounce in her step as she made her way down the hall to her new lab.

As she got closer, she heard the distinct sound of something very heavy scraping across the floor coming from her doorway. She cautiously opened the door, but a quick glance around just showed Ed next to the large worktable that had previously been in the center of the room, but she and Roy had decided to push into the front corner. It was now in the corner they'd discussed, but surely it was too large for Ed to have moved on his own. It was a massive block of wood and metal. Ed stepped away from it quickly as she entered the room.

"Uh, Morning, Winry."

"Hello Edward."

"The, um, table was crooked. I thought I'd straighten it out a bit."

She glanced down at the worktable, a little surprised. It had sounded like something had been dragged a good distance, not just slightly adjusted. Must be too early on a Monday morning.

"Thanks, Ed!"

As she set her bag down on the table and pulled out her laptop he asked, "Is that all you brought? I thought your friend was going to help you bring all that research in today."

She smiled, "Yeah, we left it up in the lobby. Riza is going to have someone bring it down in a bit."

He smirked and tilted his head, "It was a lot of stuff." She chuckled and agreed before he continued, "Roy has a meeting this morning, so he asked me to get you settled. How about I show you around the computer systems here?"

He led her over to the computer station set up in the corner on the other side of the door from the massive work table. He gestured for her to take the rolling computer chair, but he took the mouse and gestured to the post-it on the corner of the screen.

"There's your user name and password, you should change that today before you leave. Only you and Roy will have total access to your computer, but he doesn't really mess with people's files. It's just a precaution." She nodded, and he continued, "This is the shared drive. We each have a folder on there with our names, so if you want someone to look over something, or just think they'll be interested or whatever, you can drop it in their folder."

"That's handy!"

He nodded, "Yeah, don't be surprised if Al keeps dropping things in your folder all the time. Your stuff has some overlap with his robotics, and I'm surprised he isn't here already with a million questions."

She laughed, "That's fine! I'd like to see his work too."

"This is your email, obviously, but mostly we use this messaging program. It's a little more, I don't know, casual?"

He pulled it up, and she saw a list of names, many she remembered from last week. She found Al and Ed's names, both with green dots next to them. "Most of us are in the habit of using this for pretty much everything. We hardly use the phones of email anymore. Say you want me to look over some data. You could drop it in my folder, and then send me a quick message about it."

"Group messages too. Oh, and you can put it on your phone if you want, or your laptop. Since a bunch of us have odd hours, it helps."

She gave him a sly look, "I heard you were 'practically nocturnal' last week."

He turned a little pink and stepped back from the computer. "I don't think that's the best way to describe my sleeping habits, but whatever."

They both looked down at her screen when there was a beep. She smiled and looked up at Ed, "It seems your brother is looking for you."

She pulled out the keyboard and typed back, "Yup, he's here. He's going over the computer systems with me."

Al's response was lightning fast, "No problem! I'll catch him later! Good luck today, Winry!"

"Thanks, Al!"

There was a knock at the door, which swung open to two men with dollies loaded up with her papers and such from the lobby. Ed excused himself as Winry dealt with the sudden influx of clutter.


End file.
